Supervisory control systems



Dec. 20, 1960 w. A. DERR ET AL 2,965,881

SUPERVISORY CONTROL SYSTEMS Filed May 2a, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Dec. 20, 1960 w. A. DERR ET AL 2,965,881

SUPERVISORY CONTROL SYSTEMS Filed May 2a, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig. IB. F""

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United States Patent O SUPERVISORY CONTROL SYSTEMS Willard A. Derr, Pittsburgh, and Weldon L. Metz, Penn Township, Allegheny County, Pa., assignors to Westinghouse Electric Corporation, East Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed May 28, 1956, Ser. No. 587,668

8 Claims. (Cl. 340-163) Our invention relates generally to remote control apparatus, and it has reference in particular to supervisory control systems.

Generally stated, it is an object of our invention to provide an improved supervisory control system that is flexible in its application, and is reliable and effective in operation.

More specifically, it is an object of our invention to provide in a supervisory control system for effecting operation of apparatus at a number of stations in response to a predetermined operation of apparatus at one of the stations.

Another object of our invention is to provide in a supervisory control system for automatically operating an alarm device at each of a plurality of remote stations in response to operation of an alarm device at a common office.

It is also an object of our invention to provide in a supervisory control system for operating apparatus at each of a plurality of remote stations in response to operation of apparatus at a common dispatching office, and for resetting all of the apparatuses from any one of the remote stations or the dispatching office.

Yet another object of our invention is to provide in a supervisory control system for effecting operation of an alarm device at each of two remote stations in response to operation of an alarm device at a dispatching office connected to each remote station by a single signal channel, and for resetting the alarm devices at both the dispatching office and the remote stations from any one of the locations.

Other objects will in part be obvious, and will in part be explained hereinafter.

In practicing our invention in accordance with one of its embodiments, each of two remote stations is connected to a dispatching office by supervisory control equipment operating over a single signal channel. Operation of an alarm at the dispatching ofiice causes the supervisory equipments at the dispatching office to select alarm points at each of the remote stations and sound alarms thereat. Operation of a reset switch at the dispatching office silences the dispatching office alarm and causes the supervisory equipments to select the alarm points and to send control codes to silence the alarms at the remote stations. Reset switches at each of the remote stations may be operated to silence the alarm at their respective station and effect operation of the supervisory equipment to select the alarm point at the dispatching office to silence its alarm. Release of the dispatching office alarm causes the supervisory equipment to select the other remote station alarm point and transmit a control code to de energize the alarm thereat.

For a more complete understanding of the nature and scope of our invention, reference may be made to the following detailed description which may be read in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figs. 1A and 1B taken together provide a schematic diagram of a supervisory control system embodying the invention in one of its forms;

Fig. 1A being a schematic diagram of alarm control equipment used with the supervisory control equipment at the dispatching oflice; and

Fig. 1B being a schematic representation of the supervisory control equipments, with the dispatching ofiice supervisory control equipments being shown at the left side of the figure, and the different remote station supervisory control equipments being shown at the right side of the figure.

Referring to Fig. 1B, the reference numerals 10 and 10 designate identical dispatching office supervisory control equipments each corresponding substantially to the equipment shown in detail in Figs. 1 and 2 of Patent No. 2,091,301, which issued on August 31, 1937, to H. P. Boswau, except that 10 and 10' each differ from the equipment of Boswau as shown in 10. The reference numerals 12 and 12' designate generally the corresponding identical supervisory control equipments at different remote stations which equipments are each similar to that shown in detail in Figs. 3 and 4 of the Boswau patent, the equipments 10 and 12 being connected by a single signal channel comprising conductors 219 and 223 as in the Boswau patent, and the equipments 10' and 12 being similarly connected by a channel comprising conductors 219 and 223.

Since the supervisory control equipments 10, 10' and 12 and 12 are substantially identical with the corresponding equipments shown in detail in the Boswau patent, the equipments 10' and 12' have been shown in outline only, and the equipments 10 and 12 have been illustrated with only the relays and circuits differing from Boswau shown in detail. Apparatus and conductors designated by the same numerals as in the Boswau patent are substantially identical with the showing of the Boswau patent. Relays which have been changed in their circuit connections or function, but which correspond to relays of the Boswau, patent, are identified by primed numbers corresponding to the numbers in, the Boswau patent. New apparatus and circuits added to the equipment of the Boswau patent are identified by numerals and designations not appearing in the Boswau patent.

In order to provide for effecting operation of an alarm 16 of the remote station equipment 12 and operation of a similar alarm in the remote station equipment 12 whenever any one of alarm contacts A, B or C at the dispatching otfice causes operation of an alarm relay AL to sound an alarm 18 at the dispatching office, an alarm control relay X is provided for effecting operation of an alarm starting relay M, which effects operation of the supervisory control equipments 10 and 10 to select the respective alarm points at the remote stations 12 and 1 2 and transmit an alarm start code to energize the G relays at the remote stations, represented by relay 3-14 for effecting operation of the alarms 16. A reset relay R is provided for operation under the control of the dispatching office supervisory equipments 10, 10 and a reset switch RS for operating an auxiliary alarm reset relay 71 to deenergize the alarm relay AL and silence the alarm 18. A remote control relay L is provided for operation under the control of the relay X for effecting operation of the supervisory control equipment 10 to transmit a point selection code and a stop code for turning ofi the alarm 16 at the remote station 12. An anticycling relay Y is provided for controlling the operating circuit for the remote control relay M to prevent operation thereof during a resetting operation.

Corresponding control relays L, M and Y are provided in conjunction with the dispatching ofiice supervisory control equipment 10. Since they are identical with the relays L, M and Y, no detailed description will be necessary in connection therewith.

When any one of the alarm contacts A, B or C,

which may be operated by any one of a number of protective devices, closes, the alarm relay AL is energized through armature a and back contact of a relay 71. An energizing circuit for the alarm 18 is provided through armature a of relay AL. A circuit is provided through armature b of relay AL and its front contact for the remote control relay X. Energizing circuits are provided for the start relays M and M through armatures b and c of relay X and their front contacts. The energizing circuit for relay M may be traced from armature b and front contact, the operating coil of relay M, armature a and back contact of relay Y, through back contact and armature 175 of the point relay 130' to negative. Relay 130 is the C or lamp relay for the particular point and is used to indicate the position of the alarm relay at the remote station. Armatures c and d of relay M take the place of the contacts 125 and 126 of the point selection key 124 of the Boswau patent, and respectively complete a. circuit for shunting down the point selection relay 131', and provide a circuit for the starting relay 216 of Boswau. At the same time, armature a of relay M, which takes the place of the contacts 121 and 122 of the individual control key 120' of the Boswau patent, sets up circuits for the automatic operation of the control code starting relay 215 as soon as the alarm point at the remote station is selected, and determines the close or start alarm code of five pulses as performed by the twist key 120 of Boswau. Armature b performs the function of the Master control key 102 of Boswau and starts the relay 215 when the selection check code is received.

Deenergization of point relay 131' and energization of the start relay 216 of Boswau result in the operation of the supervisory control equipments 10 and 10 to transmit point selection codes for effecting operation of the point relays of the remote equipments 12 and 12', represented by relay 310' at the remote station, which result in a point selection check code being transmitted. Upon the receipt of the point selection check code at the dispatching office, the B relays represented by relay 134' are energized. A circuit is thereupon completed through conductor 20 and armature b of relay M for transmitting the start code of five pulses which effects operation of the G relays represented by relay 314' at the remote station 12. A circuit is provided through armature d of relay 314' to sound the alarm 16, and a similar circuit is provided at station equipment 12'. Operation of relay 314' results in a supervision code being transmitted and lamp relay 130 and individual point relay 131 being energized.

To reset the alarm 18 at the dispatching olfice and the alarms 16 at the remote stations, the reset push button RS at remote station 12 is operated to break the holding circuit through armature c for the G relay 314. When relay 314' is released, a supervisory code is transmitted in the usual manner, resulting in selection of the alarm point at equipment 10 and deenergization of the C relay 130 at the dispatching otfice to agree with the new position of relay 314'. At the dispatching ofiice a circuit is thereupon completed for the reset relay R extending from direct positive through armature d and back contact of the start relay 218', armature 169 of relay 134', armature a and back contact of relay 130' to relay R. Energization of relay R provides an energizing circuit for the auxiliary reset relay 71 through armature a, thus effecting deenergization of the alarm relay AL and deenergizing the alarm 18.

Release of the alarm relay AL breaks the energizing circuit for the control relay X at armature b. An energizing circuit is thereupon provided for the alarm stop relay L extending from armature through the operating winding of relay L to armature 175 of the C relay 130' of equipment This circuit is similar to the one for relay L, which is interrupted at armature 175 of relay 130' of equipment 10. Operation of relay L results in energizing the supervisory control equipment through armatures c and d to effect selection of the alarm point at the remote station other than where reset was initiated. Armatures a and b of relay L efiect automatic operation of the supervisory control equipment upon receipt of the usual point selection check code to send a control code of three pulses for shunting down the G relay 314' of the remote station equipment 12' at which the reset operation did not originate. Shunting down of the relay 314' effects silencing of the alarm at such station.

To silence the three alarms from the dispatching office, the reset switch RS is operated, which energizes the reset relay R. This energizes the auxiliary relay 71 through armature a of relay R and releases the alarm relay AL to silence the alarm 18. Release of relay AL interrupts the energizing circuit for the remote control relay X at armature b, so that armatures b and c of relay X provide energizing circuits for the relays L and L. Operation of these relays result in point selection of the alarm point at each of the remote stations, and the subsequent transmission of an off control code of three pulses to each remote station following receipt of the point selection check code. The G relays 314' at the remote stations are thereupon shunted down by operation of the corresponding relays 310' to silence the alarms 16.

The relays Y and Y are utilized to prevent the equipments from recycling when the alarm is reset at one of the remote stations. The relays Y and Y will energize when the associated relay 314 at the remote station is energized and will remain energized until the alarm at the dispatching ofiice is reset. An armature a and back contact of each of the relays Y and Y is connected in the circuit of the relays M and M, respectively, to prevent relays M and M from energizing when the alarm is reset at the remote station, and thereby prevents the dispatching office from initiating a second alarm functioning before the relay X has had an opportunity to reset.

From the above description and the accompanying drawings, it will be apparent that we have provided in a simple and efiective manner for causing operation of an alarm or other apparatus at one station in a supervisory control system to elfect a corresponding operation of an alarm or other apparatus at each of a plurality of remote stations. The apparatus or alarm at any one of the stations may be reset either from its own station or from either of the other stations. Such an arrangement provides an extremely flexible circuit since it permits operation of equipments at the remote stations to be supervised by an operator who may be either at the dispatching ofiice or at one of the remote stations.

Since certain changes may be made in the abovedescribed construction and different embodiments of the invention may be made without departing from the spirit or scope thereof, it is intended that all the matter contained in the above description and shown in the accompanying drawings shall be considered as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

We claim as our invention:

1. In a supervisory control system, supervisory control equipment at each of a dispatching oflice and a plurality of remote stations, alarm means at the dispatching ofiice operable to effect operation of the dispatching office supervisory equipment to effect selection of an alarm point at each of a plurality of the remote stations, means for causing a control code to be sent following selection to operate alarms at the remote stations, reset means at each of the remote stations operable to effect selection of the alarm point and reset the alarm at the dispatching office from one of the remote stations, and means responsive to reset of the dispatching office alarm to effect selection of the alarm point at another of the remote stations and transmission of a reset code to reset the other remote station alarms.

2. In a remote control system, supervisory equipment including sending and receiving means at each of two stations connected to a single signal channel to transmit and respond selectively to coded signals, apparatus at each of said stations operable to an operative position and returnable to a reset position, means at one station operated by operation of the apparatus at such station to effect operation of the sending means at said one station to transmit a selection code for the apparatus at the other station and automatically follow selection with an operating code to effect operation of the apparatus at said other station, reset means at said other station operable to reset the apparatus at said other station to the reset position and effect operation of the sending means at said other station to select the apparatus at said one station, and means responsive to selection of the apparatus at said one station to reset said apparatus.

3. In supervisory control apparatus, supervisory control equipments including sending and receiving means at a dispatching office connected to each of two or more signal channels connected to separate remote stations, an alarm, means operable to effect operation of the alarm and effect operation of the sending means to transmit point selection and control codes to the remote stations, and means responsive to operation of the receiving means of one of the equipments in response to a point selection code to reset the alarm and effect operation of the sending means of the other equipments to transmit point selection and reset codes.

4. In a supervisory control system, supervisory control sending and receiving equipment at each of a dispatching office and a remote station, alarm means at one point of a plurality of points at the dispatch office operable to effect operation of the dispatch office sending means to select and effect operation of alarm means at one point of a plurality of points at the remote station, and manually operative control means at each of the dispatch office and the remote station, each control means operable to reset the respective alarm means and to effect operation of the respective sending means to select the alarm point and reset the alarm means at the other station.

5. In a supervisory control system, supervisory control equipment at each of a dispatching office and a plurality of remote stations, alarm means at one point of a plurality of points at the dispatching office and operable to effect operation of the dispatching office equipment to effect selection and operation of an alarm point from a plurality of points at each of a plurality of remote stations, reset means at each remote station operable to effect the equipment at the corresponding station to select the alarm point and to reset the alarm at the dispatch office, and means responsive to reset of the dispatch office alarm to effect the dispatch equipment to select the alarm point and reset the alarm at each of the remote stations other than the remote station where the reset operation originates.

6. In a control system: control equipment at a dispatching office and each of a plurality of remote stations; a plurality of apparatus means at the dispatching office; said control equipment at one of said remote stations including signal responsive means operable to effect operation of the dispatching office control equipment to select and operate different ones of said plurality of apparatus; a particular one of said plurality of apparatus means comprising automatically operating means effecting an immediate following operation of the dispatching office control equipment to effect operation of the control equipment at another of said plurality of remote stations.

7. In a control system: control equipment at a dispatching office and each of a plurality of remote stations; a plurality of apparatus means at the dispatching office and at each remote station; said control equipment at each remote station operable to effect operation of the dispatching office control equipment to select and operate different ones of said plurality of apparatus at the dispatching office, including a predetermined one of said apparatus means; said predetermined apparatus comprising means operable to effect operation of the dispatching office equipment to effect the selection and operation of a predetermined one of a plurality of apparatus at the remote station other than the remote station effecting selection and operation of said predetermined apparatus means at the dispatching office.

8. In a control system: a dispatch office; a plurality of apparatus at the dispatch office; receiving means at the dispatch office operable to select and operate the individual apparatus in accordance with different received operation signals; a plurality of remote stations each having sending means operable to transmit operation signals to operate the dispatch office receiving means to select and operate different ones of said apparatus means, including a predetermined one of said apparatus means; sending means at the dispatch office operable to transmit operating signals to each of the remote stations to operate the corresponding remote station receiving means to select diiferent apparatus for operation at the corresponding remote station; said one apparatus means at the dispatch office comprising means operable to effect operation of the dispatch office sending means to transmit operating signals to effect selection and operation of a predetermined one of said plural apparatus mercis at each remote station other than the remote station initiating the selection of the predetermined apparatus at the dispatching ofiice.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Re: 23,571 Clutts et a1. Nov. 11, 1952 2,091,301 Boswau Aug. 31, 1937 2,152,010 Zenner Mar. 28, 1939 2,424,571 Lang July 29, 1947 2,522,453 Keyes Sept. 12, 1950 

